Supplier Engagement Lead in Horsham, England, United Kingdom

Supplier Engagement Lead

Company overview:

At Schroders, we focus on helping our clients achieve their financial goals and build future prosperity.

As a global asset and wealth manager, Schroders delivers a broad range of investments designed to meet the diverse needs of institutions, intermediaries and high net worth individuals.

For over 200 years we have built principled partnerships with our clients, putting them at the centre of everything we do. They trust us to deliver sustainable returns through times of economic prosperity and of uncertainty.

We are a global business, managed locally. Our international presence supports us in understanding the needs of our clients and delivering them the right expertise from across the business.

As an active investment manager, we believe that we have an important role to play in driving better outcomes for our clients and society as a whole. We bring together people and data to identify the trends that will shape the prosperity of individuals, businesses and future generations.

Team overview

Group Procurement is a function within Group Finance and has a global role to provide commercial expertise and support across the full supplier lifecycle.

The Schroders Campus

You'll be based at Schroders Campus near Horsham in West Sussex. That's home to our operational teams, product reporting and operational oversight for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

What you'll do

This role supports the Supply Chain Sustainability Manager and Third Party Supplier Risk Manager with developing, embedding and enhancing our supplier governance framework and policies with regard to supplier oversight, engagement and sustainability. The role is responsible for leading the engagement with internal stakeholders and suppliers to ensure that all suppliers are subjected to appropriate monitoring and management and fully compliant with regulatory obligations, policies, procedures and Schroder’s strategic objectives for sustainability. Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Supporting the continued development and growth of the operating model design for the supplier oversight policy and framework, embedding best practice supplier management and oversight.

• Supporting the strategy development to establish a global operating model and framework that enables a sustainable and diverse supply chain

• Leading on supplier engagement activities to request, gather and assess supplier data related to risk, performance, and sustainability.

• Contribute and lead on key reporting requirements related to supplier oversight and sustainability such as the Group’s Human Rights Statement, annual and quarterly third party risk reporting, TCFD and Annual Report.

• Ensure the maintenance of all required tracking documents and procedures related to supplier engagement initiatives, e.g. modern slavery assessment, supplier carbon emissions tracking, annual due diligence reviews etc.

• Development, maintenance and enhancement of all tools and procedures utilised in the assessment, monitoring and tracking of supplier risk and sustainability activities

• Supporting the development of supplier due diligence processes, including financial crime, modern slavery, credit, information security, corporate responsibility etc.

• Working closely with 2nd line risk functions, e.g. Financial Crime, Credit Risk, Business Continuity to make sure supplier due diligence information is made available for subject matter expert review.

• Designing and embedding supplier oversight reporting capabilities and continuously improving performance and risk assessment governance and metrics.

• Provide guidance and support to supplier owners in achieving policy compliance and obligation fulfilment across the supplier lifecycle.

• Regular engagement with supplier owners and suppliers to maintain all supplier records and ensure the supplier contract management and oversight platform are up to date and fit for purpose.

• Maintaining the Outsourcing Register including the record of Business Owners, contracts, criticality and associated due diligence activities.

The knowledge, experience and qualifications you need

Essential Skills / Experience:

• Experience of managing third party relationships in a financial services/regulated environment including supporting or leading the setting of strategy, developing a roadmap and executing.

• Experience working with 2nd line risk functions to ensure supplier due diligence is performed and monitored whilst supporting supplier owners to fulfil their obligations and remain compliant with policy.

• Development of reporting capabilities to enable effective supplier reporting across the many areas of supply chain risk.

• Excellent levels of communication, able to influence and persuade others, whilst building strong working relationships.

• Experience of supplier segmentation and risk assessment including outsourcing and supplier management.

• Coordination of internal and external communications related to strategic initiatives that impact the supply chain

• Ability to consider wider business strategy and align functional strategy accordingly.

• Contract review and data capture to enable reporting and oversight to Board level.

• Awareness and understanding of sustainability related risks and opportunities across the supply chain such as modern slavery, carbon emissions and inclusion and diversity.

• Strong analytics experience in order to understand and interpret information, bringing insight.

• Excellent organisation, presentation and problem solving skills.

• Excellent IT and numeracy skills.

Desirable Skills / Experience:

• Demonstrable experience of designing, owning and implementing a supplier management and oversight framework.

• Team leadership and development, managing people and motivating to deliver transactional processes whilst continuously evolving and growing the teams’ capabilities and responsibilities.

• Experience of utilising and managing procurement systems and tools.

• Ability and experience coordinating due diligence activities across technical specialists (e.g Operational Risk, Information Security, Credit Risk, Financial Crime, Legal) globally.

• Technical experience of design and implementing contract database / supplier management systems.

What you'll be like

• Capable of remaining positive when under pressure.

• Able to create a positive, service focussed team environment

• Flexible approach to work with an ability to adapt to change.

• Friendly, approachable, enjoys working and contributing to the team.

• Attention to detail with a ‘right first time’ mind-set.

• Continuous improvement mind-set, challenges the status quo and seeks self improvement.

• Analytical, capable of taking data and presenting findings to inform colleagues and stakeholders.

• Excellent organisation, communication, project management, presentation and problem solving skills.

• Able to influence and persuade others, whilst building strong working relationships.

• Earn respect from colleagues and willing to complete tasks at either end of the complexity spectrum.

• You will demonstrate proactivity, positivity and tenacity; with strong intellectual curiosity in the role Group Procurement and Schroders perform and the impact we have on the market.

We recognise potential, whoever you are

Our purpose is to provide excellent investment performance to clients through active management. Diversity of thought facilitated by an inclusive culture will allow us to make better decisions and better achieve our purpose. This is why inclusion and diversity are a strategic priority for us and why we are an equal opportunities employer: you are welcome here regardless of your age, disability, gender identity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, socio-economic background or any other protected characteristics.